Budget 2019: AI to drive country forward

Indian government wants to use tech for efficient tax regime and improve export logisticsMegha Mandavia | ETtech | February 02, 2019, 08:15 IST

In a move designed to further the government’s digital initiative, the union finance minister announced plans to digitize over one lakh villages, focus on Artificial Intelligence technologies and transform the country as a hub for smartphone and electric vehicle manufacturing.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said that the country’s digital infrastructure and economy by 2030 will be built on the work done in digitisation of government processes and private transactions. As part of this move, the government plans to make One lakh villages into Digital Villages over next five years with the help of Common Service Centres (CSCs), public private initiative that offer digital services to villagers..

Goyal said it is the government’s vision to create a Digital India that reaches all sectors of the economy, all parts of the country and impacts lives of all Indians.

“Our youth will lead us in this endeavour with innumerable start-ups creating digital India, and millions of jobs in this eco-system,” said Goyal in his Interim Budget speech.

The monthly consumption of mobile data increased by over 50 times in the last five years, and the cost of data and voice calls in India is now possibly the lowest in the world. The government's Make In India campaign is aimed at converting India into a manufacturing hub.

“Today, under Make-in-India, mobile and parts manufacturing companies have increased to more than 268 providing huge job opportunities,” he said.

India's three lakh CSCs employ about 12 lakh people and are digitally delivering several services to citizens. The CSCs are expanding their services and creating digital infrastructure in the villages, including connectivity, to convert the villages into “digital” villages.

The government has also mooted a National Programme on 'Artificial Intelligence' to harness emerging technologies and will set up a National Centre on Artificial Intelligence as a hub along with Centres of Excellence. Nine priority areas have been identified.

It also plans to use technology for efficient direct tax administration as well as use RFID technology to improve export logistics.